Torpedo supporting and launching mechanism for aircraft



J. H. HAMMOND, JR.

IOR'PEDO SUPPORTING AND LAUNCHING MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZO, 1916- RENEWED FEB. 7. 1921.

l ,403, 1 59. Patented Jan. 10, 1922..

2 SHEETS-SHEEP 1.

R A g; (\y N i* N N 6 7%:

I II w ll N fi N WITNESS IN VEIVTOR H/s' ATTORNEY J. H'. HAMMOND, 1R.

TORPEDO SUPPORTING AND LAUIJCHING MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, I9l6. RENEWED FEB. 7,1921.

1,403,159 v Patented Jan. 10, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS I INVENTOR I Ia II, n,- I

l/lSA TTORNEY UNITED JOHN HAYS muaMoND, an, or

GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

1,403,159. Specification of for Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects of this invention are to provide means responsive to radiant energy for detachably connecting a torpedo .or other body to an air craft; to provideimproved means for detachably connecting a torpedo or other body to an air craft, in combination with means for initiating operation of the propelling means or other functioning means upon the torpedo or body;

and to provide otherimprovements as will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side'elevation of ahydro-aeroplaneprovided with torpedo supporting and launching mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 a front elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 a diagrammatic view of one form of radio receiving means forming a .part of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of this invention is shown applied to 'a hydro-aeroplane 10, including a pair of floats 11 and 12 of any well known or suitable construction, above which is a flat plane 15 of any suitable construction, which is rigidly connected to the floats 11 and 12 respectively by means of a series of vertical posts or struts 16 and tie-rods 17.

For detachably connecting 'a torpedo 20 or other body to the hydro-aeroplane, so that the torpedo will be suspended by the hydro-aeroplane above the water level when the hydro-aeroplane is supported by water, a rigid cylindrical 'bar 21 extends longitudinally of the hydro-aeroplane and the ends of this bar 21 pass through and are rigidly secured in two pairs, of spaced bearings 22, 22 and 23, 23 respectively, which are integral with ,or rigidly secured to the lower ends of oblique rigid rods or hangers 24, 24, 25, 25 respectively, the upper. ends ofwhich are rigidly secured to the under surface of the plane 15. The ends of the bar 21 are L also rigidly secured in bearings .30- which are integral or rigid with cross bars'31 respectively, which are each terminally secured to a corresponding pair of the vertical posts Letter Patent Patented Jan. 10, 1922.

Renewed February 7, 1921. Serial No. 443,221.

16. The bar 21 is thusarranged centrally of'the hydro-aeroplane and extends in such a direction that-when the hydro-aeroplane 1s 1n the water the bar 21 will be substantlally parallel to the surface of: the water.

Between each pair of bearings 22, 22 and 23, 23, and rotatably mounted upon the bar 21, are a pair of rigid, separately rotatable aws 35 and 36, which depend below the bar 21 and which have shanks 37 and 38 rigid therewithv respectively, and which project upwardly from the bar 21. Each pair of jaws 35, 36 and their corresponding shanks 37 and 38 are arranged in a p1ane'perpen-' dicular to the bar 21 and to swing in that plane with respect to the bar 21. Each pair of aws 35 and 36 is in the form of segments of a circle and is so arranged with respect to its shanks 37 and 38 that when the jaws 35 and 36 are clamped tightly around the cyllndrical torpedo 20the upper ends of the shanks 37 and 38 will be brought together.

For norlnally'clam ing each pair of jaws 35, 36 tightly around the torpedo 20, and for simultaneously releasing both pairs of jaws to permit the torpedo to 'fall or be launched into the water, the upper ends of each pair of shanks 37, 38 are arranged to engage normally in a rigid inverted cup 40, which is rigidly secured to the lower end of an upwardly extending piston rod 41 which is arranged to reciprocate longitudinally through a bearing 42 rigidly secured to the corresponding oblique rods 24, and to re upper end to the under surface of the plane 15 by means of bolts 45 which extend through a flange 46 provided upon theu'pper end of the cylinder. Each cup-40 is provided with ball bearings 47 arranged ina suitable internal raceway provided therefor in the cup and operative to engageagainst the u per ends of the corresponding shanks 37 an 38 to provide an anti-friction contact to'permit of the easy withdrawal of thecup 40 from the shanks 37 and 38.

The upper end of each piston rod 41 is rigidly secured to a piston 50, which is arranged to reciprocate in the corresponding cylinder 44, and each piston 50 is normally pressed downwardly j by means of a spiral, spring 51 which is compressed within each cylinder 44 above its piston 50.

For releasing the torpedo 20 'from the hydro-aeroplane a pipe communicates at its ends with the lower ends of the two cylinders 44 respectively, and communicates intermediate of its ends with a supply pipe 56 which is controlled by a valve 57 and which leads from a tank 58 or source'of compressed Forreleasing the torpedo 20 in response to radiant energy the valve 57 is arranged to be controlled by a solenoid 60 provided with a reciprocatory core 61 which forms a stem for controlling the valve 57 in a well known manner. One end of'the solenoid 60 is connected'by a conductor 62 to a brush 63 and the other end of the solenoid 60 is connected by a conductor 64 toone terminal of abattery 65, the other terminal of which is connected by a conductor 66' with a brush 67. The two brushes 63 and 67 are arranged to engage against a commutator 70 which is provided with a suitable contact or contacts 71 arranged to be engaged by the brushes 63 and 67 to close the circuit through the battery and solenoid 60 when the commuta tor is rotated into a proper position for that purpose. The commutator 70 is rigidly secured upon a shaft 75 extending longitudinally and is supported in suitable bearings (not shown) to rotate about an axis coincident with its longitudinal axis and fixed with respect to the plane 15.

For rotating the commutator 70 step by step in one. direction, a ratchet? 6 is rigidly secured to the shaft 75 and is arranged to be actuated by a pawl 77 which is pivot-ally secured to a gear 78 which loosely surrounds the shaft 75 and which is engaged .by a rack 79 which is arranged to reciprocate in a fixed path with respect to the plane 15. For reciprocating the rack 7 9.one end of the rack is rig-- idly securedto a.'pis t on*80 which is arranged to reciprocate in a cylinder 81 fixed with respect to the plane 15 and having at one end an inlet and an outlet, both controlled by a valve having a'val e stem 82, and the inlet being in communication through a pipe 82' with the supply pipe 56 leading from the tank 58 of compressed air. The valve stem 82 forms the core of a solenoid 83 which is in a circuit containing a battery 84 and a normally open switch 85 which is controlled by an electrofnagnet'86 arranged in the conis carried by the hydro-aeroplane 10. The

trolled circuit 87 of a gaseous audion 88 which is controlled by an oscillatory circuit 89 including a condenser 90 and'an inductance. 91. The inductance 91 forms the'secondaryof a transformer, the primary 920i which is in series with. an antenna 93 which.

parts for reciprocating the rack 79, including the radio receiving apparatus, with the exception of the main part of the antenna axially therethrough and which 94 which may be fixed upon the plane 15 or in any other suitable position upon the hy-.

dro-aeroplane. a

For initiating the operation of the propelof a corresponding hook 97 which is rigidly.

secured to one 'of the fixed bearings 23 or other suitable ,partofthe hydro-aeroplane. The lever 96 is operatively connected in any suitable manner to the actuating mechanism of the propellers 95 and is so arranged that when-the torpedo 20 is. clamped securely in position between the two pairs of-jaws 35 and and the lever 96 is in engagement with the hook 97 the lever 96 will prevent the actuation of the propellers 95, but when 'the jaws 35 and 36 are opened and the free end of the lever 96 is therefore-caused to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed' in Fig. 1 with respect to the torpedo 20, the lever 96 will cause the initiation of the operat-ion of the propellers 95.

of the hydro-aeroplane or the operation of the functioning devices carried by the hydro-aeroplane, the valve stem 61 may becon- For cont-rolling the direction of-movement nected to any suitable retarding means, such,

forinstance, as adash pot 100 arranged so that the valve 57 will not open or operate to admit air from the tank56 into the lower' ends of the cylinders 44 unless the commutator '7() isv permittedto remain in a suitable position for an appreciable and predetermined length of time, and the commutator 70 may be provided-with other brushes 101 and 102 and corresponding segments 103 and 104 arranged in any suitable manner to control the direction of movement of the hydroaeroplane or the operation of functioning devices car'ried thereby. p

In the operation of the \hereinbeiore described supporting and launching mechanism. the two-inverted cups 40 are; pressed up either manually or by permitting com-' pressed air to enter the lower ends of the two cylinders 44, and the two pairs of jaws 35 and 36 may then. be clamped around the torpedo 20' after it has been lifted into a suitable position.- By then permitting the two inverted cups 40 to engage over the upper ends of the corresponding shanks 37, 38, the torpedo 20 will .be securely clamped in' position by the twopairs of jaws 35, 36.

-Vhen it is desired to release or launch thetorpedo 20 and to initiate the operation of its propellers 95, .a-Jsuitable number of sig-;

nals or impulses of radiant energy are transmitted from any sultable sending station to rably arranged within acasing the hydro-aeroplane to act upon the radio receiving apparatus and to cause a suitable rotation of the commutator 70 into such a position as to-close the circuit through the battery 65 and the solenoid 60, and to cause the valve 57 to o'pento admit compressed air from the tank58 through the pipe 56 and pipe 55 into the lower ends of the cylinders 44, thus causing the two pistons 50*.to be pushed upwardly by the pressure of the air and thus releasing the two pairs of jaws 35, 36 and permitting the torpedo 20 to fall, and simultaneously causing the lever 96 to be acted upon by the hook 97 to initiate the operation of the propellers 95' of the torpedo, whereupon as soon as the torpedo strikes the water it will proceed immediately upon its course. 1

Although only a. single form has been shown in which this invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that-the inven-' tion is not limited to any specific construction, but might/be applied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the in;- vention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described this invention, I claim: V s

p 1. The combination with a movable body, of means carried by' said body including v clamping members adapted to normally embrace an object to detachably connect the same to said body, and fluid actuated means including pistons having rods which engage said clamping members operative to permit the disengagement of said object from said clamping members. 7 p

2. The combination with a movable body,

7 of means carried by said body, including clamping members adapted to normally embrace an object to detachably connect the same to said body, pneumatic means including pistons having rods which engage said clamping'membeis, and means. responsive to radiant energy for actuating said pneumatic means.

3. The-combination with a movable body, of pneumatic means including pistons having rods, means responsive to radiant energyfor controlling said pneumatic means, pivotal clamping members for engaging an object to detachably connect the same to said body, -said piston rods releasably engaging said clamping members to hold them against movement, and means actuated asa result of the release of said object from said to initiate the functioning means carried by said object. Y

4. The combination with a body, of means including a pair of clamping members each comprising a jaw and a shank for detachably-connecting an object to said body, pneumatic means including a piston having a rod for engaging the shanks of said clamping members, and means responsive to radiant energy controllable of said pneumatic means to effect a release of said object from said body when rendered active.

having a rod which engages a pair of said.

shan s of said clamping members, and

means responsive to radiant energy controllable of said pneumatic means as and for the purposespecified.

6. On a hydro-aeroplane, in combination,

means includin a plurality of pivotally mounted clamping members eachcomprising a segmental jaw and a shank for detachably connecting a torpedo to said hydroaeroplane, pneumatic means, including a plurality of pistons each having a rod, cupshaped elements at the free ends of said piston rods, anti-friction balls carried by said cup-shaped elements, said elements being adapted to engage a pair of said shanks in their normal positions, and means responsive to radiant energy controllable of said pneumatic means for disengaging the cup-shaped elements from said shanks, for the release of said torpedo.

' e combination with a movable body, of means carried by said body including engaging members arranged to normally support an object to detachably connect said object to said body, and pressure operated means including pistons connected to said engaging members, operative to detach said engaging members from said object.

8. The combination with a. movable body, of means carried by said body including engaging members arranged to normally support an object to detachably connect said object to said body, pressure operated means,

including pistons connected to said engaging members, operative to detach said engaging members from said object, and means responsive to radiant energy for controlling said pressure means-to cause the release of said object from said body.

Si ed at New York city, in the county of N v v York and State of New York, this sixteenth day of June, A. D. 1916.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR. 

